Vehicle-wheel.



100. 836,361. v PATBNTED 100v. 20, 1900. J. 1201 1010.

' 'VEHIOLE WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 20. 1900.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR ATTORNEYS JEROME BOLICK, OF CONOVER, NORTH CAROLINA.

VEHICLE-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 20, 1906.

Application filed October 20, 1905. Serial No. 283.670.-

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEROME BoLIcK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Con over, in the county of Catawba and State of North Carolina, have invented a new and useful Vehicle-Wheel, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vehicle-wheels; and the general objects of the invention are to simplify and improve the construction and operation of this class of devices.

Among the special objects of the invention is the production of a wheel which while possessin to a full extent the necessary degree of stillness and rigidity shall nevertheless be possessed of a degree of inherent resiliency, whereby it is made especially lit to resist rough usage, as in travelingover rough uneven roads. Special attention is also devoted to certain improvements in the hub construction and in the means for connecting the spokes with the hub, said spokes being constructed of metal and throughout the greater portion of their lengths of such thickness that they will not be liable to be bent, displaced, or otherwise injured, while a portion of each spoke is reduced for the purpose of increasing its resiliency.

A further object of the invention is to so connect the spokes with the hub that the ends of the spokes will engage or be cushioned upon wood or non-metallic material of a character analogous to wood.

With these and other ends in view, as will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawin s there is illustrated the preferred form of t e embodiment of the invention capable or carrying the same into practical operation, it being understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details herein exhibited, but that changes, alterations, and modifications within the scope of the invention may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a wheel constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of one of the spokes detached. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the spindle-cap. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view showing the reduced extensions of the spokes inclined or beveled and piercing the cushioning member. Fig. 5 is a sectional view with the axle box and cushionin member removed and illustrating a modified form of spoke-terminal. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one end of a spoke shown in Fig. 5 detached.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawings.

The improved wheel comprises a hub 5 and a rim 6, connected by the spokes 7, the latter having their upper or outer ends inclined or beveled at 8 for engagement with correspondingly-inclined sockets 9 in the felly and having their side walls reduced at 10 to give the spokes the desired degree of resiliency and flexibility.

The hub 5 consists of a metallic shell having a bore 11 for the reception of an axle-box 12, which is surrounded by an annular member 13, the latter being preferably constructed of wood and constituting a cushion between the shell 5 and the axle-box. The axle-box has a bore 14, which has been shown as provided with interior enlargements 15, and the inner end of said axle-box is provided with steps 16 for abutment against shoulders 17, formed at the inner end of the spindle 18 of the axle 19, there being packing-rings 20, of leather or other suitable compressible material, interposed between the steps 16 and the shoulders 17.

The outer end of the axle-box has a conoidal recess 21 for the reception of a correspondingly-shaped cap-nut 22, which engages a reduced threaded portion 23 at the end of the spindle. A packing-ring 24, of leather or other compressible material, is preferably seated at the inner end of the recess 21, surrounding the unthreaded portion of the'spindle, and bearing against the shoulder 25, formed in the axle-box. The parts are so proportioned that the inner extremities of, the cap-nut will normally abut upon the shoulder 26 adjacent to the threaded portion of the spindle. The recessed and internally-threaded portion of the cap-nut is of greater length than the threaded or reduced portion of the spindle, so that when it shall be necessary to tighten the cap-nut in order to compensate for wear the inner extremities of the cap-nut may be filed away or otherwise removed, thus enabling the nut to be tightened. This cap-nut 22, which has been shown in detail in Fig. 3 of the drawings, is provided with annular grooves 27, which may be regarded as constituting passages or receptacles for the reception of lubricating material.

The hub or shell 5 is provided with spaced radiating sockets 28, the walls of which are inclined or tapered toward the bore 11 for the reception of the correspondingly inclined or tapered ends 29 of the spokes 7, the latter being provided with reduced cylindrical extensions 30, which extend through recesses 31, formed in the cushioning member, and bear against the axle-box. The spaced circumferential recesses 3 1 are disposed in alinement with the spoke-receiving sockets 28 and are of less cross-sectional diameter than said sockets, so that the shoulders 32 on the spokes 7 will bear against the cushioning member 13 on each side of the recesses 31, and thus serve to receive and absorb the jar or impact incident to traveling over rough uneven roads.

The construction illustrated in Fig, 4 of the drawings is similar to that shown in Fig. 1, with the exception that in Fig. 4 the inner extremity of the spoke is provided with a wedge-shaped rib or extension 33, adapted to penetrate the cushioning member 13.

In Fig. 5 of the drawings there is illustrated a further modification in which the inclined ends 29 of the spokes are reduced and provided with exterior threads 34 for engagement with corresponding threads formed in the walls of the spoke-receiving sockets, this form of spoke being used in connection with or without the axle-box and cushioning member.

It will thus be seen that the inner exti emities of the several spokes will be cushioned in a manner which is conducive to the resiliency and stability of the wheel.

It is well known that while a vehicle-wheel theoretically is not distorted while in operation by the cushioning action of the weight supported thereon there is nevertheless a great necessity not merely for great stiffness and rigidity in the construction of a successful wheel, but also for an inherent resiliency of the component parts, which will enable the wheel to successfullywithstand the jolts and rough action to which it will frequently be subjected. It has been found that under the constructiong hereingdescribedl these advantages have been attained gtolperfection and that a vehicle equipped with wheels con structed on the lines herein laid down will be to an eminent degree comfortable and safe.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a wheel, a hub having a longitudinal bore and provided with spaced radiating spoke-receiving sockets, the walls of which are tapered, an axle-box arranged within the bore of the hub and provided with spaced annular grooves adapted to receive a lubricant, a cylindrical cushioning member interposed between the walls of the bore and the axle-box and provided with spaced circumferential recesses disposed in alinement with the spoke-receiving sockets and of less crosssectional diameter than said sockets, and spokes each having one end thereof cylindrical and tapered longitudinally for engagement with the tapered walls of said sockets and bearing against the cushioning member,

the ends of the spokes at the tapered portions thereof being reduced to form cylindrical extensions engaging the recesses in the cushioning member.

2. A hub having an axle-box provided with a longitudinal bore and having a'conical recess at its outer end of greater cross-sectional diameter than the bore and defining a shoulder, the inner end of the axle-box being provided with a recess adapted to receive an axle-collar, in combination with an axle bearing a collar and spindle, the latter being provided with a reduced threaded extension disposed within the recess of the axle-box and defining an annular shoulder, a washer bearing against the shoulder of the axle-box and an externally-conoidal cap-nut engaging said threaded extension and externally abutting against the walls of the recess in theaxle-box and bearing against the shoulder on the spindle and said washer.

3. A hub having an axle-box provided with a longitudinal bore and having a tapering recess formed in one end thereof of greater cross-sectional area than the bore and defining a shoulder, in combination with a spindle having a reduced threaded extension the end of which terminates short of the end of the tapering recess, the washer bearing against the shoulder, and acap-nut having its end closed engaging the threads on the spindle and bearing against the Walls of the recess in the hub member and washer, respectively, said nut being provided with spaced circumferential grooves adapted to receive a lubricant.

4. In a wheel, a hub provided with a longitudinal bore and having spaced radiating spoke-receiving sockets the walls of which are tapered, an axle-box, a cushion member interposed between the hub and the axlebox and provided with spaced circumferential recesses disposed in alinement with the spoke-receiving sockets and of less cross-sectional diameter than the said sockets, and

spokes each having one end thereof cylin- In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 10 drical and tapered longitudinally for engagemy own I have hereto affixed my signature ment with the correspondingly-tapered Walls I in the presence of two witnesses.

of the sockets, the ends of said spokes at the l tapered portions thereof being provided with JEROME BOLICK. reduced cylindrical extensions engaging the 1 recesses in the cushioning member and del Witnesses:

fining shoulders bearing against the exterior EMORY H. BOGLEY, Walls of said cushioning member. I O. E. DOYLE. 

